Milwaukee Film Blog

Members-Only Screening: All Together

posted by Kristopher on February 12th, 2013

All Together

I know it's Milwaukee's annual No-Way-I'm-Going-Out-There Month, also known as February. But wouldn't you make an exception for Jane Fonda speaking French?

 

Your February members screening film is... All Together.

 

 

 

 

Stéphane Robelin's latest film focuses on five aging friends who opt out of retiring at a senior home to try a youthful experiment of moving in together into a spacious house, owned by their friends Annie (Geraldine Chaplin) and Jean (Guy Bedos). Joining them is the borderline womanizer Claude (Claude Rich) as well as the bon vivant Albert (Pierre Richard) and his wife Jeanne (Jane Fonda), a philosophy professor. This is Fonda's first French-language role since Jean-Luc Godard’s Tout Va Bien in 1972.

 

“Writer-director Stéphane Robelin treats aging with humor and grace...[and] the film's central performances reflect both its celebration of age and a sense of wistfulness.” – NPR

 

The screening takes place on Wednesday, February 27th at 7 pm at the Landmark Oriental Theatre.

 

Please RSVP now: kristopher@mkefilm.org. Space is limited and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservation closes on Monday, February 25. (If you do not receive a reply to your RSVP, please call me at 414-755-1965 x204.)

 

Hey, Kristopher! What if I'm NOT a member, but I want to come to this and all subsequent screenings, and I want to get lots of great deals on festival tickets and merchandise, and - whoa! Slow down, friend. I have just the solution. BECOME A MEMBER THIS VERY MINUTE and all your movie-related dreams will come true!

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Berlinale Dispatch: Programming Manager Angela

posted by Angela on February 11th, 2013

Berlinale 2013

Since you've last heard from me, I've flown over the Atlantic and have been enjoying the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival and the European Film Market. This marks my second year here, and it's just as exciting as my first time (although, it's substantially easier this year without the broken arm I had last year).

One of the reasons I come to this festival is the extensive amount of international films I'm able to see. Between the Berlinale films in the festival and the European Film Market (or 'EFM'--these screenings are closed to the public, with dozens of films screening per day), I'm able to see around six feature-length films per day, seven if I'm feeling particularly ambitious. I've been able to go to a few public screenings as well, which usually features a filmmaker Q&A. German audiences are immensely supportive of the festival, so it's exhilarating to be a part of their experience.

One of the most interesting parts of being here is meeting with international distributors and film institutes. Meeting with people I've only "met" via email is great, and it's also fascinating learning about how each country supports its national cinema. It's really film nerd heaven.

Off to film #3 of the day!

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Watching: Tchoupitoulas, Shorts, French

posted by Milan on February 7th, 2013

Milwaukee Film Blog Trailer Image
Tchoupitoulas

Tchoupitoulas (MFF 2012) @ UWM Union Theatre (Thu, Feb 7, 7p)
(dir. Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross, USA, 2012)
Telling the tale of three young boys exploring New Orleans' colorful French Quarter nightlife is interesting enough. But the Ross brothers do it without traditional narrative structure, opting instead to create more of a shared experience through their cameras. The results in this MFF 2012 gem are challenging, yet critically acclaimed--and thankfully returning to the Milwaukee big screen this weekend, thanks to the stellar programming at UWM's Union Theatre.
Watch the trailer for Tchoupitoulas.

Oscar Nominated Short Films 2013: Animated & Live Action
@ Oriental Theatre (Fri, Feb 8, 7:20p, 9:35p)
This is a rare and special treat, boys and girls. Not only because you're getting to see some short films on the big screen, but you're getting to see some Oscar-nominated short films on the big screen. Considering just how many great short films are made each year (as attendees of any of our MFF Shorts programs can attest), we're glad we don't have to choose which ones are the alleged best. We'll just sit back in the comforts of the Oriental Theatre, and enjoy seeing them as they were intended to be seen: on the big screen.
Check out which short films were nominated.

Festival of Films in French @ UWM Union Theatre (Fri, Feb 8, 8:30a - 11:30p)
Remember at the end of our Tchoupitoulas write-up, when we said the programming at UWM's Union Theatre was stellar? Case in point. Their Annual Festival of Films in French celebrates its sweet 16 this year with French-language cinema from Montreal, Cameroon, Paris, New York, the Middle East and more. There will be a spotlight on four films from good ol' Québec, a couple of debuts, some Milwaukee premieres, and even a screening of MFF 2012 alum Tales of the Night (aka, Contes de la nuit).
Find out more about the Festival of Films in French here.



MORE PICKS:
Silver Linings Playbook @ Downer (Fri, Feb 8, 7:15p)
Argo @ Fox-Bay (Fri, Feb 8, 6:40p)
MARNMovies @ MAM (Tue, Feb 12)
The Pool on DVD

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A Milwaukee Film Intern Goes To Sundance

posted by Blyth on February 6th, 2013

Megan Benedict

Megan Benedict, one of our hard-working interns from the past two years, shares stories from her first experience as a Sundance volunteer. --Blyth

 
Hey, everyone! After a week of being back in Milwaukee, I’m still reflecting on all of my experiences at the Sundance Film Festival in January. During my first year at Sundance, I met some amazing people, saw some great films, and learned about the inner workings of the film industry.
 
My experiences as a volunteer and intern at Milwaukee Film helped me immensely when applying to, preparing for, and participating in the Film Student Volunteer Program at Sundance. Having met people who work for Sundance at the Milwaukee Film Festival, I had some idea of what to expect in Park City. However, the festival ended up being much larger and more crowded than I had anticipated. While I was there, I worked as a theater volunteer at multiple venues and participated in several student-oriented panels, including: Meet the Sundance Programmers, Meet the Industry, and Speed Dating with Festival Filmmakers. The student panels gave me unparalleled access to industry professionals in order to ask questions, get advice, and hand out my business card. As a student who is graduating in May, I was able to network with people I hope to work with in the near future. Making connections with people who are in the field I want to work in was an invaluable experience for me, and I feel very lucky to have been able to participate in their student program.
 
One of my favorite things about Sundance was discovering innovative new filmmakers. On my second night, I attended a volunteer screening of Toy’s House, which follows the story of three teenage boys who leave their lives in the city to build a house of their own in the woods and live off the land. I was surprised by how much I connected with the characters, enjoyed the quirky dialogue, and felt compelled to tell others about the film. It quickly became one of my favorites of the festival and one of the most discussed films thanks to the volunteers. Actor Moises Arias was a crowd favorite, and I’m excited to see what other projects he’s working on.

I can say without a doubt that the Sundance volunteers are the nicest people I have ever met. If you are ever in need of a “Pay it Forward” example, look no further than this group of people. I was constantly compelled to go the extra mile to help a patron, talent, or fellow volunteer to repay the kindness that was shown to me. I often found myself sitting next to volunteers from Wisconsin and the Midwest. It truly is a small world!
 
Meeting talent was an interesting experience to say the least! As a student volunteer, I didn’t have access to the VIP tents or press lines, so I had to fight the crowds to talk to famous people or spot them on Main Street, at a screening, or during my volunteer shifts. I was lucky enough to meet my favorite actor, Gael García Bernal (Who is Dayani Cristal?, No) after the Turning the Tide panel, and to see both of his films. At the panel, Gael joined Pablo Larraín (No), Jehane Noujaim (The Square), and Robert Reich (Inequality for All) to discuss the ways in which creative approaches to storytelling can alter the course of history. I was also fortunate enough to meet Martin Starr (The Lifeguard, Freaks and Geeks) during one of my shifts at the Egyptian Theatre. You never know who you might run into or sit next to at a restaurant (Michael Cera!), so it pays to keep your eyes open.
 
The main reason I went to Sundance was to see the films. I have an insatiable hunger for watching films, and I certainly saw some memorable ones while I was in Park City. During the festival, I had to "Wait List" for the majority of the films I saw because my poor student budget would not allow me to splurge on a festival pass. This means that I would have to line up 2-5 hours before each film in order to get empty seats once the theater filled up with pass holders and ticket holders. Sometimes at popular screenings, there would be NO empty seats left, so people in line would have to pack up and move on to the next Wait List line. I found myself freezing outside with hundreds of other diehard film lovers, which led to some very interesting conversations. My favorite films were the ones that had something unexpected or moved me in a way I wasn’t prepared for. For me, these included: Who is Dayani Cristal?, Austenland, Toy’s House, Before Midnight, In a World…, Kill Your Darlings, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman, Afternoon Delight, The Square, and Fruitvale. I can’t wait to bring back some of my favorite films to the fine folks in Milwaukee, so I’ll have someone to discuss them with!
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Tonight: Mea Maxima Culpa on HBO

posted by Blyth on February 4th, 2013

Milwaukee Film Blog Trailer Image
U.S. Premiere of MEA MAXIMA CULPA: SILENCE IN THE HOUSE OF GOD

Be sure to tune in to HBO tonight for the broadcast premiere of MFF 2012 alum Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God. The Milwaukee Film Festival was honored this year to host the U.S. Premiere of Alex Gibney's documentary, which exposes the abuse of power in the Catholic Church and a coverup that winds its way from our hometown of Milwaukee, all the way to the highest office of the Vatican. It was an incredibly special evening, with the director, subjects and their families in attendance.

 

 

The staff here would like to send out a heartfelt congratulations to everyone involved in this film: to Alex for shepherding this important story; to the victims for speaking out; to their families for standing by them with love; and to the rest of the Milwaukee community that was effected, many of which showed up for the film and shared their stories. 

 

We will not soon forget that powerful evening, and we thank all of you for joining us. 

 

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God premieres tonight at 8pm CT on HBO and repeats throughout the month.

 

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